Pilot took off in plane as deputies approached, sheriff’s official tell station

(CNN) — A plane that went missing after police tried to apprehend its pilot at an airport in central Arkansas was found on a dirt road about 75 miles away, an FAA official said Tuesday.

The official, who had been briefed on the incident by law enforcement, said a search was ongoing for the pilot.

The plane was found near Stuttgart, Arkansas, with its nose landing gear sheared off.

After the pilot evaded capture Monday night, airports in Arkansas were put on alert, according to CNN affiliate KFSM.

On Monday, Saline County deputies were responding to a call to check the small airport in Bryant for a certain plane. They saw a pilot fueling the aircraft, according to KFSM. The pilot got into the plane and took off when he saw the deputies approaching, the Saline County Sheriff’s Department told KFSM.